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When I first came to my host family I thought that my host brother’s new bride was just a Tajik diva. She wears much more makeup than any of the other women I've encountered here, she always wears hats with feathers on them,even while cleaning the courtyard, and she changes her clothes about four times a day. Also everything she wears has heaps of rhinestones and sparkles on it, she is always bedazzled.

The two other American girls I'm staying with and I especially thought she was just very hip when on the third day she decided to bombard my roommate and me after we just showered, to give us both makeovers…. Needless to say we didn’t receive looks we wanted to keep. 

 However, we have since learned that for the first 40 days after a girl is married here in Tajikistan,she has to  do her best to look hot at all times. She has to have her hair braided in many little braids and above all else a she is not to be seen outside of her new home. 

A few nights ago the women of our household decided to take the three of us out for a walk after dinner and get us ice cream at the little corner store down the road. We weren’t in on the fact that what we were doing, bringing the bride out, was so scandalous. Little by little I became aware of it as when men walked past us she would turn away and then eventually, when we were waiting outside of the well-lit corner store, she began hiding her face completely, from every man and every woman.

 Quickly the goal of our walk switched from seeing the neighborhood at night to avoiding all passing people, especially groups of men and even boys.

This is a picture of us from the walk.